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8 Inspirational Life Lessons Harvested from My Garden
In case you needed these reminders today
When I got divorced almost a decade ago, I had one true goal. I wanted to be able to buy a house on my own for my family. I knew there would be challenges in being a single mother, but I was determined to put down roots. It took a lot longer than I thought it would to save up enough to even think of buying a house, but after seven years, I was able to do just that.
Even though my property is only half an acre, I had big plans for that space. I wanted my kids to have the kind of treehouse I’d had as a child. I’d take a storage building and flip it into a truly epic she-shed home gym. I’d plant fruit trees that would remind me of picking cherries, apples, and blackberries on my grandmother’s property growing up. I would make our home a sanctuary.
And I did. It took a while, but I turned every dream into a reality. I planted fruit trees and a garden. In the process of caring for my dreams, I also began collecting inspirational life lessons.
Unseen progress and trusting the timing
I’m mowing my lawn when I pause to take in new blooms in my yard. A morning glory vine wraps itself around a plant stand on the side of my house. I remembered planting morning glories, but I’d assumed the seeds were bad or that the winter frost had killed them. It was a gentle reminder that progress often happens when we can’t see it.
We can plant the seeds, but we can’t force the timing. Sometimes, the progress is happening below the surface with no one to applaud it. It still matters. It still counts.
Choosing curiosity over ignorance
I’m about to pull up a weed in my garden when I pause. It might be something the chickens I’m raising can eat. I take a photo and let my iPhone tell me what plant I have in front of me. It turns out that it’s not a weed at all. It’s chamomile, and when it blooms, I make the most delicious tea from the fresh flowers.
I start taking pictures of all of my weeds before pulling them. Instead of assuming they are invasive and useless, I take the time to learn about what’s growing in my garden. Some are truly weeds that…
